


Cupid's Arrow

by ferristheewheel



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Harley Quinn (Comics), Poison Ivy (Comics)
Genre: Dr. Harleen Quinzel - Freeform, Dr. Pamela Isley, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Professors, harlivy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:07:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28245153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ferristheewheel/pseuds/ferristheewheel
Summary: Dr. Pamela Isley is a professor at Gotham University and lives an accomplished, but quiet life. Her days get a lot more interesting when Dr. Harleen Quinzel arrives to campus in search of a job. True love always prevails, but not without some bumps in the road.
Relationships: Pamela Isley & Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel
Comments: 18
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I present to you my new brain baby. I love these two and will enjoy watching them fall in love again, I hope you will too. 
> 
> <3

“Remember that the first drafts of your research papers are due Sunday evening. That’s all for today, enjoy your weekend.”

Students rush to gather their materials as Pamela dismisses her final lecture of the day. She moves to gather her own things from the lecture podium, eager to get home after a long week of teaching college students the wonders of plant life.

Dr. Pamela Isley is an illustrious professor at Gotham University, specializing in advanced botanical biochemistry. She was a marvel in her field, having secured her two doctorates at the tender age of 25 and breeding an impressive array of plant hybrids to cure various illnesses. She was now 31 and on tenure at Gotham U in exchange for full reign of their extensive lab facilities and a healthy salary.

“Dr. Isley!” came the reedy voice of University President, Oswald Cobblepot, a short and round man who exclusively wore tuxedos.

 _So much for getting to go home early_ , Pamela thought as the short man waddled through the auditorium towards her, clearly on a mission.

“What can I do for you sir,” she replied cordially, forcing herself not to roll her eyes. She just wanted to get back to her apartment and enjoy a quiet night of reading.

“I need your assistance with something,” he began. “The University is courting a new potential professor today and I would appreciate it if you could help convince her to take our job offer. You’re our most decorated faculty member and a co-sign from you would go a long way.”

Great, they want her to play university ambassador. “Who is it?” she questioned wearily.

“Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a highly distinguished Psychiatrist. She’s relocated to Gotham City and is looking for a position in the area. It would be a major win for us to have her here,” he explained.

“Dr. Crane is head of the Psychology department, why can’t he do it?”

“I would ask him, but I fear that he may be too…off-putting. I don’t want her to be scared away.”

 _That man is a little odd._ “Fine,” Pamela sighed. “Where is she?”

Clapping his hands in celebration, he smiled graciously, “Oh, thank you so much, Dr. Isley! She’s scheduled to be in front of Parker Hall in about 20 minutes.”

/////////

Heels clicking down the pavement and wind gently whipping her crimson hair, Pamela made her way through campus towards the Psychology building to meet Dr. Harleen Quinzel. She wasn’t the biggest fan of people and wasn’t looking forward to kissing the ass of some woman she’d never heard of on the University’s behalf.

 _She must be something special if Cobblepot is going this far to impress her,_ she thought as she neared the building. She wasn’t exactly known for her people skills and coming to her was a desperate move.

The antique brick building now a few feet away, Pamela looked around for a woman with a scholarly appearance. Confused, she looked down at her watch to check the time when she couldn’t pick out her target. She should have asked what this doctor looked like.

“Excuse me, are you Dr. Isley?” a soft voice inquired behind her.

Turning around, Pamela caught sight of a young blond woman staring at her with bright blue eyes and a questioning expression.

“Yes, that’s me,” she answered when she remembered how to speak again.

“I’m Dr. Harleen Quinzel. I think you’re the one I was supposed to be waiting for,” the blonde woman informed her with a dimpled smile, extending her hand to Pamela.

She took the woman’s hand and Dr. Quinzel gripped it firmly with her soft fingers while Pamela tried to reign in her surprise. This woman was young. Like, early twenties young – Pamela hadn’t noticed her at first because she blended in so well with the students.

Dr. Quinzel was a few inches shorter than Pamela, but still had a lengthy stature. She was dressed in a fitted black turtleneck and beige khakis, had long blond hair that spilled past her shoulders, and her pretty facial features were decorated with light make-up.

 _Pretty? Did you just say pretty?_ Collecting herself, Pamela cleared her throat and politely smiled back at the young woman, “It’s very nice to meet you Dr. Quinzel. I’m sorry for not noticing you earlier, I didn’t expect you to be so…”

“Young?” Dr. Quinzel giggled. “That’s alright, I get it a lot. I turned 26 last July.”

 _Wow,_ Pamela thought, impressed. She was the only other person she knew who was this accomplished at that age.

Raising her eyebrows and reluctantly releasing the blonde’s warm hand, Pamela replied, “That’s very impressive, Dr. Quinzel. I hope our facilities please someone of your stature.”

The woman adjusted the bag on her shoulder and said, “Thank you for the compliment, Dr. Isley, but I hear you’re quite the genius yourself. I’m sure anywhere good enough for you would be just fine for me,” sending Pamela a smile that showed off her pearly white teeth.

An odd fluttering in her chest, Pamela nodded with her own genuine smile. “Alright then, let’s get started on your tour.”

Pamela escorted Dr. Quinzel into the building and began showing her around its long hallways. It was late afternoon, so most of the classrooms were vacant, letting them speak without fear of interrupting a lecture. Pamela found herself enjoying the other woman’s company as she guided her through the premisies.

“So, Dr. Quinzel,” she began. “Why did you choose Psychiatry as your field?” Pamela asked curiously.

“I’m real interested in the minds of people who reject the rules of society. Why are madmen mad and what drives their decisions? What makes them tick, ya know?” Dr. Quinzel explained, relaxing further into her accent the longer they spoke.

“That’s a fascinating question,” Pamela mused. “How has your research been going and what brought you to Gotham?” she continued, turning them down a new hall.

“Well, I’m from here and went to this school for undergrad, but I had job in upstate New York. I was conducting my research with criminally insane inmates at some of the local mental institutions. I liked it up there, but my fiancé wanted us to move to the city so that he could start a nightclub with his best friend,” Dr. Quinzel shared.

“You’re engaged?” Pamela commented out loud, ignoring the rest of the information Dr. Quinzel divulged and feeling unexplainably disappointed.

“Yep! My Puddin’ and I are getting married next Spring,” she said with a dreamy sigh.

Changing the subject, Pamela gestured towards the office they had approached at the end of the hall, “President Cobblepot informed me that this would be your office, should you accept the position.”

“This place is huge!” Dr. Quinzel gasped in awe, striding inside with Pamela trailing behind her.

It was a very impressive space. The room contained two spacious bookcases lining the left wall, a brown leather sofa on the right, and a large mahogany desk in the center of the room. The back wall behind the desk had floor to ceiling windows that offered a view of campus and plenty of natural lighting. It was similar to Pamela’s office, expect for a lack of décor.

Plopping down in the desk chair, Dr. Quinzel twirled around in the seat a few times with a “Wee!” before addressing Pamela again, who was grinning despite herself at the blonde woman’s behavior. “I gotta say Dr. Isley, this is a pretty sweet deal. You guys have offered me the most so far, so I think I’m gonna say yes to the job.”

“I’m sure my boss will be very happy to hear that,” Pamela smiled again, finding that she was also pleased to hear Dr. Quinzel decision.

As if summoned by the mention of himself, President Cobblebot appeared in the doorway of the office with a hopeful expression on his bird-like face. “Dr. Quinzel! I see you are enjoying the space we set aside for you,” he noticed, eyeing her feet on the desk. “I trust that our esteemed Dr. Isley was pleasant company.”

Hopping up and coming to stand beside Pamela in the middle of the room, Dr. Quinzel answered, “She was absolutely wonderful, Mr. Cobblepot. With her help, I’ve made the decision to accept your offer,” re-applying her formal tone.

The tiny man practically squealed when he heard this, rushing forward to shake Dr. Quinzel’s hand vigorously. “That is splendid news, Dr. Quinzel, I’m sure you’ll be very happy here!”

Tilting her head up slightly to lock eyes with Pamela, Dr. Quinzel winked and said, “I’m sure I’ll like it here too, sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have set the scene and will be gifting you all with an update on 12/24. I love comments and thank you for reading! Happy Holidays!
> 
> I am trying to raise funds for my medical transition! If you liked this so far or hated it but still want to be nice to me, please consider donating to or boosting my campaign. It would really make me happy to receive any support. 
> 
> Gofundme: https://gofund.me/a1e52e6f
> 
> Twitter: @greengrizzlyjr


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's chapter 2!

A few days had passed before Pamela saw Dr. Quinzel again. She was currently striding through campus at noon, on her way to grab a salad for lunch from one of the restaurants in the student center. It was an uncharacteristically warm day outside, which was odd for the middle of October, so Pamela figured she would go out for food instead of staying holed up in her office for most of the day.

She was a few meters away from the entrance to the building, deftly maneuvering through the crowds of students, when she heard her name being called.

“Dr. Isley!”

Whipping her head towards the sound, she spotted Dr. Harleen Quinzel rapidly approaching her left flank. Dr. Quinzel was dressed in lighter attire than the first time they met - a white pencil skirt, tucked in blouse, and heels that brought her much closer to Pamela’s height.

“Dr. Quinzel,” Pamela greeted with a small smile when the other woman came within range.

Looking genuinely happy to see the redhead, Dr. Quinzel said, “How have you been? I haven’t seen you since I got hired,”

“I’ve been well, thank you for asking,” Pamela responded. “How has your first week been so far?”

“It’s been real good,” Dr. Quinzel answered. Then she glanced towards the building and seemed to connect some dots in her head about the reason for Pamela’s presence, “Are you here for lunch?”

“Yes. I was going to get a salad.”

“Wanna eat together?”

Now, typically at this point, Pamela would have rejected the offer and made up an excuse about having to work through lunch. She didn’t make a habit out of befriending colleagues and preferred to keep to herself. People were overly complicated and did nothing but disturb her carefully cultivated peace.

But, looking at the eager face of this young woman, she couldn’t think of anything else to say besides, “Sure.”

“Awesome!” Dr. Quinzel enthused, turning to walk inside, Pamela following close behind her.

The salad place had a build-your-own concept and Pamela watched closely as Dr. Quinzel ordered something with more fruit than lettuce. Her own salad wasn’t nearly as colorful. After paying, the two looked for somewhere to sit and decided on an outdoor patio when Dr. Quinzel insisted that “this pale skin need’s all the sunlight it can get!”

“When are your first classes?” Pamela asked conversationally when they settled into their seats and started to eat their lunch.

“I don’t start teaching till next semester, so right now I’m just keeping busy with some books in my office,” she says, stabbing a strawberry with her fork.

“Have you met any of the other professors?”

“Actually, I met Dr. Nygma from the philosophy department and he’s pretty interesting…”

While Dr. Quinzel rambled on about Dr. Nygma’s obsession with riddles, Pamela’s eyes drifted downwards towards the blonde’s chest, where two undone buttons presented a small amount of cleavage. When Dr. Quinzel shifted slightly, she could see hints of a lacy bra peeking out…

“Dr. Isley?”

Dr. Quinzel’s questioning tone broke Pamela out of her rogue train of thought and she quickly looked up to see the other woman staring at her with a knowing glint in her blue eyes. _Dammit._

Pamela felt a violent rush of heat travel to her cheeks when she realized she had been caught staring at Dr. Quinzel’s chest for god knows how long like a horny schoolboy. Her entire face probably matching her hair, she stuffed a piece of lettuce in her mouth and tried to calmly respond with an unintelligent, “Hmm?”

Smiling widely at Pamela, Dr. Quinzel repeated, “I was just saying that you’re my favorite out of all the other professors I’ve met so far,”

 _I’m her favorite?_ Pamela bit the inside of her cheek in an effort to contain her pleased smile. “Thank you Dr. Quinzel, I’m flattered. I’m rarely anyone’s favorite anything,” she admitted with a bashful grin, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

“I have a hard time believing that,” Dr. Quinzel balked, eyebrows raising slightly. “Why would anyone not like you?”

“I’ve been known to be a little…anti-social,” Pamela revealed hesitantly, not wanting the other woman to find her odd.

But, Dr. Quinzel simply flicked her hand and scoffed, saying, “Most people probably aren’t even worth your time.”

With fluttering feeling in her chest that Pamela was beginning to accept as an unavoidable sensation in the blonde’s presence, she redirected the attention back off of herself. “I remember you saying that you grew up around here, how was that?”

“It wasn’t anything too special. My family lived in one of the rougher parts of the city,” Dr. Quinzel answered. “I was real desperate to get out of there, and my folks were so proud of me when I got an athletic scholarship to come here for undergrad.”

“An athletic scholarship?” Pamela asked, eyes flicking up and down her companion’s form in an attempt to guess what she could have played.

“That’s right! I was a gymnast,” Dr. Quinzel shared proudly. “I gave it up once I graduated, but I still practice when I can.”

“That’s very impressive.”

Maintaining eye contact with Pamela, Dr. Quinzel leaned forward slightly with an impish grin and said, “Maybe I’ll show you some of my tricks one day.”

Taking a gulp of water to address its sudden dryness, Pamela thanked her lucky stars that humans couldn’t read minds, because hers was _below_ right now. She swiftly chastened herself; _You’re a grown woman, please act like it._

Dr. Quinzel smirked and saved Pamela from having to respond to her comment. “You know, Halloween is coming up soon.”

 _Well, that was a random topic change,_ Pamela thought. “Yes, I suppose it is.” She replied with a head tilt, not really knowing where this was going.

“I’ve been looking around for something to do and there’s this huge haunted house that’s supposed to open that week. I was wondering if you would wanna go with me one night?” Dr. Quinzel asked with an adorably hopeful expression.

Pamela was a little shocked at the request. Weren’t haunted houses for kids? And who liked scaring themselves for fun? “Your fiancé doesn’t want to go with you?” Pamela asked, not really wanting to bring him up, but needing to make sure she wasn’t about to agree to be a third wheel.

Dr. Quinzel looked a little sad when she said, “I asked Jack, but he told me couldn’t. He’s been really busy lately with all his business stuff.”

 _Jack._ Pamela couldn’t fathom someone who got to call this wonderful woman their fiancé being _too busy_ for her. She decided then that whoever this man was didn’t deserve Dr. Quinzel.

“Of course, I’ll go with you,” Pamela said, wanting to get rid of the dejected look on the blonde’s face.

She got her wish when Dr. Quinzel perked up immediately, bouncing in her seat and rewarding Pamela with a dimpled smile. “Really? We’re gonna have so much fun!”

Seeing Dr. Quinzel’s excitement made signing up for a night of being chased around by teenagers with chainsaws all worth it. Pamela didn’t know what it was about this woman that was getting her to make all these out of character decisions, but who was she to question it if it felt good?

Dr. Quinzel reached over her now empty salad container to lay her hand over Pamela’s, her fingers softly skating over the redhead’s knuckles. She pinned Pamela with an earnest expression before saying, “I’m so glad I met you. I didn’t have anyone else down here ‘cept Jack, but I feel much better now that I found you for a friend.”

Her brain having to do a hard restart when Dr. Quinzel placed her warm hand on the redhead’s, Pamela dumbly replied, “We’re friends?”

Removing her hand, Dr. Quinzel chewed lightly on her pink bottom lip nervously, misinterpreting Pamela’s response. “Well, yeah, if that’s alright with you. It won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t wanna be, promise.”

Pamela had a feeling that it would indeed hurt Dr. Quinzel’s feelings if she didn’t want to be her friend. Luckily, she had no intentions of refusing the woman.

Rushing to clear up the confusion, Pamela said, “No no, I want that. You just surprised me,”

The smile returned to Dr. Quinzel’s face when she heard this. “In that case, no more ‘Dr. Quinzel’,” she said, lowering her voice to mimic Pamela’s alto. “Call me Harley.”

“Only if you call me Pamela,” the redhead bartered, lips spreading into a happy grin.

“Deal,” Harley agreed at once, blue eyes shining.

///////////////////////////////////////

The two women went their separate ways shortly after exchanging phone numbers so that they could plan their next meet-up without having to hunt each other down. To Pamela’s delight, Harley wanted to make their lunch dates a regular occurrence.

“Call me!” Harley had exclaimed with one of her playful winks before disappearing into the crowd of students.

Pamela rushed back to her office as quickly as her heels allowed her, a grin plastered on her face the entire way. She was having some feelings about Dr. Harleen Quinzel and she needed to talk to someone about them. When she made it to her room, she pulled out her cell phone to call her only other friend in the world, Selina Kyle.

“Well look who finally decided to call,” sarcasm dripping from Selina’s tone when she answered.

“How has my best friend been?” Pamela greeted cheerfully.

“If you called more than once a month, you would know,” Selina teased. “And why do you sound like that? Are you high?”

Pamela chuckled into the speaker, “No, I’m happy. Am I allowed to be happy?”

“I guess, but you usually aren’t _this_ happy. What’s going on?” her friend demanded.

Pamela sat down in her desk chair and leaned back, sighing out “I met a woman.”

“Excuse me?” Selina questioned, confused.

“A new professor just started at the University. We met. She’s very smart and pretty. We’re friends now.” Pamela summarized matter-of-factly.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before Selina suddenly burst into laughter. Wrinkling her nose, Pamela held the phone away from her ear until Selina calmed down.

Gasping breathlessly, Selina said, “You’re calling me….out of the blue…to tell me you have a _crush_ on one of your coworkers?!”

Pamela rolled her eyes, not really understanding what was so hilarious. “Isn’t calling a friend what people do when these types of things happen?” she said, unamused at her friend’s reaction.

“I’m sorry Pamela, you’re right,” Selina snickered. “It’s just…I was beginning to think you weren’t capable of romantic attraction anymore. I mean, how long has it been since you’ve gotten laid? Four years?”

“I’ve been busy,” Pamela growled into the phone. “I have bigger priorities than sex.”

“Mhm, sure.” Selina dismissed, unconvinced. “Tell me about this woman you’re willing to dust the cobwebs off for.”

Ignoring the cobwebs remark, Pamela felt the smile re-appear on her face at the mention of the blonde. “Her name is Harley and she’s a psychiatrist. She’s blonde, a little shorter than me, really sweet, a retired gymnast, crazy smart – “

“Okay, I get it,” Selina interrupted Pamela’s listing. “She’s amazing. Did you ask her out?”

“Well, she just invited me to a haunted house next week…”

“A haunted house? How old is she?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Cradle-robber,” Selina deadpanned.

How dare she? “I’m only thirty-one!” Pamela defended indignantly. She was not _that_ old.

Selina laughed at Pamela’s reaction before saying, “I’m just messing with you. So, it sounds like it’s going well so far. You two will be banging in no time.”

Pamela slumped in her seat when she remembered why it wouldn’t be that simple. “There’s a few problems,” she said.

“Like what?” Selina asked.

“First, I don’t know if she even likes women. Second…she’s engaged to some guy named Jack.”

Pamela heard Selina snort before saying, “You couldn’t aim a little lower for your re-introduction into the dating pool?”

“I know,” Pamela groaned miserably, throwing her head back dramatically.

“Does she seem happy with this guy?”

“I can’t tell,” Pamela grumbled. “Her fiancé sounds like an asshole, but she’s still with him.”

“Then don’t throw in the towel yet, Isley. Get out there and show her you’re the better option,” Selina motivated in an exaggerated tone that mirrored a high school basketball coach.

Pamela laughed at her friend, feeling a little bit better about the situation. “Thanks Selina, you’re the best.”

“I know. I have to go now but call me with any updates!” Selina insisted.

“I will. Thanks again,” Pamela agreed before hanging up the phone.

She sat quietly for a moment before forcing herself to start grading the pile of assignments on her desk with a sigh, Selina’s advice ringing in her head.

_Show her you’re the better option._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I add a haunted house? Yes I did.
> 
> Chapter 3 will be here within the next two days. If you wanna support my transition fund I've attached the links below like usual to boost or donate. I appreciate every little bit of help. Love you guys! <3
> 
> Gofundme: https://gofund.me/a1e52e6f
> 
> Twitter: @greengrizzlyjr


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A belated Christmas present for you guys! Also, thank you so much to the person who donated to my campaign this morning! It makes the days much easier to know people want to help me.
> 
> Enjoy! <3

“What’s this one?” Harley pointed.

“Dionaea muscipula. Venus Flytrap.” Pamela supplied easily.

“And this one?”

“Stapelia grandiflora. Starfish Flower Cactus.”

“What about this one?”

“Valeriana officinalis. Valerian Root.”

The two women were currently in Pamela’s spacious private greenhouse on campus. Pam had needed to come prune and water some of her plants over her lunch hour, but instead of canceling her daily meeting with Harley, she invited the blonde to accompany her. However, instead of eating her food while Pam did her rounds, Harley had taken to bouncing around the facility, making Pam identify every interesting looking plant she found.

Usually, the constant interruption would bother Pam, but she found Harley’s interest endearing. She liked that the blonde was impressed with her work instead of finding it boring.

They had been meeting each other for lunch every day for the past week and a half, excluding the weekend. During this time, Pam got to know Harley better and she was baffled at how different they were, but they complemented each other so well. Harley was, for lack of a better phrase, a ball of pure energy. Keeping up with her sometimes gave the older woman whiplash, but she couldn’t help but find Harley delightful. She knew it was terribly inappropriate to have romantic feelings for her engaged co-worker, but Harley was so warm and charming that she couldn’t help it.

Pam battled with herself often about how she would go about the situation. She couldn’t in good conscience intentionally wreck a home, but from where she was standing, Harley’s fiancé, Jack, wasn’t very invested in Harley’s happiness. From what Harley had told Pam in passing during their time together, Jay was a hot-headed and neglectful man. He would come home late every night with the excuse of work and occasionally snap at Harley for questioning his whereabouts. Pam truly couldn’t figure out how Harley had become so emotionally attached to someone so clearly beneath her.

“This place is really incredible, Red. How’d you get into plants anyway?” Harley inquired, reappearing beside Pam and peering over her shoulder to watch her movements.

Oh, yes. Harley also had developed the cute habit of giving Pamela a variety of nicknames, all of them variations of her name or a nod at her most noticeable feature, her hair.

“My mother had a large rose garden on our estate. When my parents were gone for work or business trips, I spent most of my time there. I suppose my absorption began then.” Pam shared, carefully cutting away a dead stem.

“Is that why you don’t like people much? Your folks left you alone a lot?” Harley fished, psychoanalyzing the redhead.

“Perhaps,” Pam mused. She didn’t really want to talk about her emotionally absent parents. “Why, are you offering free therapy sessions?” she chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Harley laughed; it was a sound Pam quite liked. “Nuh-uh,” Harley grinned, shaking her head while she followed Pam to the next plant a few steps to the left. “If you want a session with me it’s gonna cost you. I’m a very busy woman, you know.”

“I guess that’s fair,” Pam granted, nodding in fake consideration. “How much do you charge?”

“Three-hundred an hour,” Harley deadpanned.

Pam turned her head towards Harley and put on her best offended face. “Three-hundred?” she gasped, looking wounded. “And here I thought we were friends.”

Harley giggled at Pam’s theatrics and shuffled a little closer until she was bumping shoulders with the redhead. “You have a point,” she decided, slightly squinting her blue eyes. “I _guess_ I could offer you a deal. A trade, maybe.”

“Oh?” Pamela played along, abandoning her plant for a moment to turn her whole body towards the blond. “What do you want from me?”

“I’ll give you a session for free if you go with me to pick out some houseplants. My place is looking a little lifeless and I want an expert’s opinion,” Harley offered seriously, still grinning up at Pam.

Definitely not going to pass up an invitation to spend time with the blonde outside of work, Pam immediately agreed. “Okay. Although, you probably could have gotten me to do that for nothing.”

“Probably.” Harley acknowledged, surveying Pam with an unreadable look in her eyes.

Harley’s gaze making her nervous, Pam cleared her throat uneasily and broke their eye contact, returning to her work.

“What time did you want me to pick you up for the haunted house tomorrow?” Pam redirected, moving towards the next plant.

“You’re picking me up? Such a gentlewoman,” Harley teased, poking Pamela’s side lightly.

“Just tell me the time,” Pamela rolled her eyes, a blush coloring her cheeks.

“How about seven thirty?”

“Text me you’re address, and I’ll be there.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Pam sat outside of Harley’s apartment complex at 7:20, leg bouncing anxiously. She had been here for fifteen minutes already, not willing to risk being even a minute late to pick up the blonde. This wasn’t technically a date, but Pam’s nerves seemed to not be aware of that fact.

Before leaving her own apartment, Pam had called Selina for advice on what to wear for a night of terror. They had both decided that Pam wear a pair of dark jeans that highlighted her curves, a white top, and a leather jacket to protect her from the cool fall air. Her hair was perfectly styled in loose curls and she had forgone her usual heels for a more suitable pair of boots. She knew she had done well when her doorman seemed to forget the English language when he saw her.

 _I’m outside,_ Pam texted Harley when 7:25 hit, watching the building’s entrance intently. About three minutes later, Harley walked through the doors.

 _Jesus Christ._ Pam’s eyes widened when she took in the blonde’s attire. Apparently, Harley was not afraid of the cold and had chosen jean shorts and a New York Yankees crop top for tonight’s occasion. Pam trailed her eyes over the woman’s exposed midriff and pale legs, sighing internally. It was going to be a long night.

Pam honked her horn to grab Harley’s attention. She was immediately spotted, and Harley’s face lit up in recognition before skipping down the stairs of the building towards Pam’s truck.

“Hiya Pam-a-lamb!” Harley greeted merrily when she got inside of the vehicle, stretching across the center console to hug Pam’s shoulders. Due to her position, Pamela couldn’t really hug back, much to her chagrin.

“Hey, Harls.” Pam smiled, enjoying the contact even if she couldn’t return it.

Pulling back, Harley finally got a good look at Pam. “Wow,” she appraised with a low whistle. “This is my first time seeing you out of office clothes. You look hot!”

“Are you saying I wasn’t hot before?” Pam baited playfully, her confidence elevating at the blonde’s approval.

To Pam’s amusement, Harley looked shocked at the suggestion. “N-no way! I always think you look pretty,” she stuttered out, blushing at her own words.

Glad that she wasn’t the one blushing for once, Pam smirked at Harley’s floundering. “You don’t look too bad yourself,” she charmed. “Now tell me where we’re going.”

Looking relieved and pleased at Pam’s compliment, Harley started explaining the directions as they pulled onto the road.

The haunted house was on the outskirts of Gotham in a field of dead grass. It looked like someone’s old home that was decorated for the purposes of the attraction. A line of both adults and teenagers were waiting outside of the house, looking nervous to go inside.

 _I can’t believe I’m doing this,_ Pam thought as she parked in the field next to the other cars while Harley pointed excitedly at a couple of kids who looked terrified walking out of the building.

“This is gonna be so much fun,” Harley bounced happily beside Pam when they took their place in the line.

“We don’t have to pay for this?” Pam asked, not seeing a ticket stand anywhere.

“Nope,” Harley answered, popping the p. “The website said that they enjoy scaring people for free.”

“Wonderful,” Pam muttered, not liking the sound of that at all.

Harley chattered animatedly about all the potential things that could be hidden around the house to scare them while they waited for their turn. While Pam wasn’t ecstatic about what they were about to do, she enjoyed being a witness to Harley’s enthusiasm and just gazed at her fondly. As she was watching Harley, she noticed the occasional shiver run through the blonde as a breeze picked up in the cool night air.

Pam shrugged off her jacket without much thought and placed it on Harley’s shoulders, making the blonde stop in the middle of her sentence and blush furiously for the second time that night.

“T-thanks Red,” Harley stammered, looking up at Pam gratefully and putting her arms through the sleeves. “I didn’t think it would be this cold.”

“It’s no problem,” Pam assured, trying not to make it obvious how much she liked seeing Harley in her clothes.

 _You need to get grip,_ her inner voice reprimanded. _This woman is taken. If you keep making it obvious that you feel anything but friendship for her, she’s going to leave._

 _She flirts with me too,_ Pam argued back.

_Ooorrrr, she’s a naturally affectionate person. You, on the other hand, admitted to disliking most of the human population. So how do you think it looks for you to all of a sudden be so willing to go out of your way for her in particular?_

Pam couldn’t argue with her own logic. She was successful, beautiful, and intelligent. What was she doing pining over someone she couldn’t have?

“Yay!” Harley exclaimed, breaking her out of her thoughts. Pam looked up to see that they were next.

“Follow the arrows,” the elderly attendant rasped, a creepy smile on his face as he waved the two women into the house, causing Harley to giggle. They climbed the old wooden stairs and entered the two-story house.

The attendant closed the front door behind them, plunging them into darkness. Pam finally felt something close to fear when she realized that it was unnervingly quiet inside. In front of them stretched a long narrow hallway that she couldn’t see the end of with open doors on both sides along the walls, probably holding all manners of sinister characters. The first arrow below their feet simply pointed forward.

“Harley…,” Pam whispered apprehensively.

“It’s okay,” Harley soothed beside her, her form hard to make out in the dark. “Here.”

Pamela felt Harley’s hand blinding grabbing at her and she latched on, clasping their hands tightly together. Harley’s soft hand was in hers was making Pam’s heart pound harder in her chest than their current situation, erasing any progress she had just made with her last self-reflection.

“C’mon,” Harley lightly tugged an unwilling Pam forward encouragingly, guiding them down the quiet hallway and past the first door.

Pam, who was the closet to the doorway leaned against Harley heavily as a means to distance herself. The room was pitch black and they couldn’t see anything as they shuffled by. Thinking the coast was clear, they turned away from the door just as a spine-chilling chuckle came out of the darkness.

“Did you hear that,” Pam panicked, whipping her head back around to face the door they had just passed, now a few feet away.

“Yeah,” Harley breathed, a slight tremble in her voice now.

A large bald figure wearing a bloodied bedsheet slowly emerged from the doorway, holding a kitchen knife in its right hand. It stared at the frozen women and said in a creaky voice, “ _I’m gonna get you!”_

 _What. The. Fuck??_ Was the only coherent thought Pam had before yelling, “RUN!” and dragging Harley down the dark hallway in a full sprint, the figure chasing them with heavy footsteps.

They didn’t slow down until they couldn’t hear the figure anymore and arrived in a new room in the house, panting heavily. Still hand and hand, Pamela pulled Harley against her as she surveyed the scene for more threats. It looked like they had found the living room, it’s TV displaying quiet static.

Harley was shaking beside her, prompting Pam to focus on her face in the darkness in concern. But Harley didn’t look scared, which Pam would have thought was the logical response to what just happened. She was holding in laughter. “What is so funny?” Pam demanded, her manicured eyebrows scrunching.

“You ran so fast!” Harley snickered, covering her mouth with her free hand.

_Wow._

“Whatever,” Pam grumbled and pulled them towards the next arrow.

The rest of the haunted house was a personified hell-scape. Bugs, aggressive ghouls, and jump-scares around every corner. By the time they had found the exit, Pam was a tightly wound ball of anxiety that was on the verge of taking Harley’s hand off.

“Thank god,” Pam gasped in relief when the evening air hit them again, stumbling out of the house gratefully. She released Harley’s hand and sat on the grass to ground herself. Harley was doubling over with laughter above her, no longer bothering to contain herself.

“I’m glad _one_ of us enjoyed themselves.”

“Aw, don’t be like that Pammy,” Harley crooned while taking a seat beside her and laying her head on the Pam’s shoulder, wrapping her arms around the redhead’s waist in an attempt to comfort her.

Pam closed her eyes, her head growing fuzzy from the affectionate touch. She softly inhaled, breathing in the unique scent of Harley’s hair. It had an instant calming effect on her, and the adrenaline melted out of her body.

“You okay?” Harley murmured against her, tilting her head so that sparkling blues met green.

There was a longing stirring deep within Pam’s chest at Harley’s proximity. Her eyes flickered over the blonde’s face, not understanding how anyone could be so beautiful. Harley was like sunlight itself. The warmth and light she produced was growing something within Pamela that had been dormant for as long as she could remember.

“I am now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I too would force myself to do something I hated for a pretty girl. 
> 
> Next chapter coming up in a few days. Thanks to everyone who likes and comments, I love you all.
> 
> As always, here is the link to my gofundme and twitter if anyone wants to put a smile on my face by donating or boosting.
> 
> Gofundme: https://gofund.me/a1e52e6f
> 
> Twitter: @greengrizzlyjr


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